Delhi Air Pollution Surge

• Delhi’s air pollution is eight times the WHO standard and expected to rise on Sunday.
• Environment Minister Gopal Rai has formed a coordination committee to identify and mitigate pollution sources in 13 locations with’very poor’ air quality.
• PM2.5 level was over 117.1 micrograms per cubic metre, 8 times WHO’s permissible limit of 15 micrograms per cubic metre for a 24-hour period.
• Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was 292 (poor) at 4 p.m., up from 285 a day earlier.
• The Central government’s Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi predicts air quality to enter the’very poor’ category on Sunday and stay in the’very poor’ to ‘poor’ range for the next week.
• The government will focus on action plans for the 13 hotspots, including the deployment of 80 mobile anti-smog guns and regular visits by MCD Deputy Commissioners.
• Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva alleges negligence from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, citing the hazardous nature of the Yamuna’s waters.